Bakery companies do well at Africa’s Big Seven food and beverage trade show......

Business deals continue long after Africa’s Big Seven

Africa’s Big Seven Food and Beverage Expo continues to deliver results to exhibitors, months after it closed at the end of July. This year’s show, which hosted over 300 exhibitors and 7 600 visitors from 42 countries - the highest figures in the show’s history - attracted participants from every continent.

First-time Turkish exhibitor Özmer Pastry and Beverage Products not only succeeded in finding a business partner in South Africa, but also secured a deal with a leading company in the pastry sector. “The show enabled us to understand the market first-hand and plan our sales strategy accordingly,” said Gülner Gülsever, Area Sales Manager. Özmer’s product range includes filling profiterole sauce, topping mixes for ice-cream and pastry, decorative powder sugar and pastry additives.

Malaysian company Win Win Food Industries, a leading manufacturer of chocolate products, biscuits and cookies, was also full of praise for AB7. This first-time exhibitor reported wide interest in its products at the show. “We established numerous good contacts at AB7”, says Director Bernard Lee. “Not only that, but as a result of contacts we established at the expo, we are now exporting our products into South Africa.”

For companies aiming to extend their reach into South Africa and the rest of the continent, AB7 is ideal.  “AB7 is the best place in Africa to make contact with traders,” says Ceyda Ozturk, Area Export Specialist for Pakmaya, one of Turkey’s leading bakers yeast and bread improver manufacturers. “The show is getting better each year: we made many contacts and deals at AB7 and we were also able to gather valuable market information.”

The Trade Promotion Office of Ecuador in South Africa highlighted the matchmaking facility as a key benefit of the show. “AB7 was much richer and business-oriented than the previous year,” said Juan Patricio Navarro, Head of the Trade Promotion Office of Ecuador in South Africa. “Our business-to-business meetings were much more effective. We managed to get a critical mass of high-quality contacts with whom we are now working. The online meeting matching system worked very well for us, helping us to identify better counterparts’ profiles in advance." Navarro adds that, as a result of AB7: “We have now at least 20 new Ecuadorian companies in contact with South African companies (agents, importers, retailers and wholesalers) interested in our products. Many of them have engaged in a customisation process of Ecuadorian flavorus to South African tastes and needs.”

AB7 2011 takes place from 17 to 19 July 2011 at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand.